If you’ve been driving up Springfield Avenue and wondering what that “Greater Comfort, Lower Bills” banner near Indiana Street is all about, we have the answer.
On Friday, the Maplewood, South Orange, Irvington and Millburn Green Teams, launched the “Essex Community Energy” campaign to make local residents aware of the benefits of home energy audits and several special programs aimed at helping them use energy more efficiently in their homes.
By working together, the four Essex County towns hope to maximize the outreach to residents from their volunteer-led efforts. While the Essex Community Energy program does not provide free energy audits, it does provide information about audits as well as programs and incentives to make local homes more energy efficient at www.essexcommunityenergy.org.
“For some people, getting an energy audit sounds difficult or they don’t know what it is. We hope to change that,” said Kathleen Leventhal, Deputy Mayor of Maplewood Township and a Maplewood Green Team member. “Many homeowners are unaware that significant incentives are available to them to upgrade insulation and replace inefficient heating and cooling equipment. I had an energy audit done and the results from the improvements have been worthwhile for my family.”
For example, the New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) Program provides incentives of up to $5,000 in cash-back rebates and up to $10,000 in zero-interest financing to residents who make improvements on their home. The monthly repayment of the financed amount is often the same or less than the savings from energy reduction the homeowner receives, so there may be no additional monthly outlay of money. “The intent is to make it easier for residents to get an energy audit,” said Walter Clarke, South Orange Village Trustee and a member of the organizing green team committee.
A similar campaign, Sustainable Princeton’s EnergySmart Homes, has surpassed its goal of providing 100 home energy assessments to Princeton homes resulting in an average 25 percent energy reduction and combined savings of $80,000 for the homeowners who completed retrofits to their homes in the past year. “We’re thrilled that we can now calculate average energy savings of 25 percent in the 32 homes that have completed retrofits,” said Matt Wasserman, chairman of the Sustainable Princeton Board. “The collective savings are an added bonus,” he added.
Tracey Woods, chair of the Maplewood Green Team said, “This is a community project. We’re not getting paid for bringing attention to the audits, the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program or the contractors. Our mission is to help our neighbors reduce their carbon footprint by learning about energy audits and the programs out there to help them get it done.” Ellen Ingber, co-chair of the Millburn Township Green Team added, “Millburn Township recently launched a Home Energy Assessment Campaign designed to reduce energy consumption. We encourage Millburn residents to participate in the Township’s program, which offers them a discounted rate with an approved home energy audit provider.”
A home energy assessment is an important first step towards an increased awareness of contemporary energy-efficiency measures. These measures, when properly installed, provide numerous benefits to a homeowner including: 1) economic benefits through reduced seasonal heating and cooling cost, 2) environmental benefits from lower overall fossil fuel consumption, 3) lifestyle benefits realized through increased comfort in a home and 4) health benefits realized through proper ventilation and moisture control.
Residents interested in learning more about the program should visit www.essexcommunityenergy.org for a list of home energy auditor contractors serving Maplewood, Irvington, South Orange and Millburn. The website includes an overview of the program, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and a place for residents to share their experiences and review the work done.
This program was made possible through a Sustainable Jersey Small Grant funded by the PSEG Foundation that Maplewood Township received in March 2013.
